Ship ladder



Dec. 21 1926. 1,611,7'6s

- J. B. MITCHELL SHIP LADDER Filed March 5. 1925 INVENTOR 29 ag ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 21, 1926.

barren s'rarss raiser Weiss.

innate JOHN B. MITCHELL, or snar'rrin, wasrrrnsmore.

SHIP LADJJLEB.

Application filed March 5, 1323. Serial No. 622,870.

The present invention relates to improvements in sh p ladders, havingmore particular reference to the type generallyknown as J acobs ladders,and has for a fundamental 5 object the provision of a novel constructionwhich is simple, durable, efiicient and reliable in use and capable ofbeing manufactured at a comparatively low cost.

With these ends in view the invention consists in providing a shipladder embodying a plurality of interconnected steps having-reetilinearinner edges adapted to rest evenly upon the supporting surface, tothereby e1- i ectually prevent tipping or rocking of the steps when theladder is in use.

llhe invention further consists in the provision of a ship ladderembodying a plurality of steps interconnected, at the sides there of, bysupporting ropes or cables in such a.

manner as to positively prevent accidental their associated supportingropes, with'the consequentloss of said steps,which heretofore hasoccurred with ladders of this type. The invention still further consistsin the provision r a ship ladder embodying apl-urality of flexiblyconnected stepswhi'ch may be readily removed from the flexiblesupporting or connecting ropes when broken or worn and may beexpeditiously replaced by new steps without materially afiecting thefcontiguous steps or the supporting ropes.

The invention still further consists in the provision of a ship ladderembodying a plu- 'rality oi steps interconnect-edgbysupporting ropes orcables secured upon the sides er said steps in medial relation thereto,to thereby' dispose said ropes in spaced parallel relation to thesupportin .der wheninuse, to thus prevent and eliminate chafing of theropes and unduewear thereon whiclrhas ocurred heretofore in ladders ofthis type.

g surface otthe lad- -iihe invention still further consists in theprovision of ship ladder embodying a plurality or interconnected stepshaving hand holds formed therein whereby the said ladder may be ascendedor descended by the user with the'inax rnuin satiety.

@Vith the foregoing resides in the struct I) view the invention 1dentures, ,combina' tion, adaptation and arrangement of parts. as willbe hereinafter described and succinct ly defined in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawingswherein is illustrated the specific form ofthe invention, as at present preferred 1- v i I i Figure 1 is afragmentary front elevation of the upper end of'a ladder. iabricated'inaccordance with the invention, certain parts being shown in section andcertain other parts broken away: orclearness of illustra' t on.. s i iFig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of such" a ladder, certain partsbeing broken away and certain other parts being shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the broken line of Fig. 1.

the steps of the ladder, and dislodgment or detachment of the steps fromFig.5 is a fragmentary transverse section of a ship illustrating myladder operatively disposed thereon.

Jside .members 21 are provided, at a point substantially midway of theheight thereof. with. mortises 23 adapted to receive tenons 2% formed.upon the en-ds'ol the cross piece 22, as showninoreclearly in'l? 3. Topositively secure and retain the, tenons 3i within their associatedinortises 23 I have providednai'ls or spikes 25, which aredl'ivcn intothe curvilinear edges of theside members 21 in such .a manner to passthrough the said tenons, substantially as shown at Qt-he right hand sideof Fig. 3.

The side members 21 are preferably formed in the ci'lrvilinear shapeshown and are provided with rectilinear rear orinner .edgesfltlada-ptedto abut and rest evenly upon the laddersupporting surface, to-,tl1e;reby

prevent tipping or rocking of the steps 20, when the ladder is in use,as will be readily apparent.

The cross piece 22 is provided with hand holds 27 disposedlongitudinally thereof in spaced relation, as shown more clearly inFigs. 3 and l, to thereby assure of the maximum safety for the user,while ascending or descending a ladder of this type.

The supporting ropes 30 are bent double at the upper ends thereof toform loops within which are inserted thimbles 31 adapted to be fixedlysecured within said loops by seizings 32, to thereby form eyes 3arranged for engagement with hooks or other ii cans from which theladder may be suspended, when in use. As hereinloefore stated thesupporting ropes 30 are bent double at the upper ends thereof, thusforming inner and outer legs, said inner legs extend downwardly alongthe inner sides of the side members 21 in medial relation thereto, andthrough openings or apertures 28 formed in the cross piece 22 adjacentthe ends thereof, while the outer legs extend downwardly along the outersides of said side members in medial relation thereto and in alignedrelation to the said inner legs.

The steps are ilXQClly secured in spaced relation upon the ropes byseizings 34 interposed upon said ropes between said steps, as shown moreclearly in Figs. 1 and 2,

The side members 21 are provided within their upper and lowercurvilinear edges and upon the inner and outer sides thereof withaligned inwardly converging grooves 29 within which the inner and outerlegs of the ropes 30 are arranged to seat, to thereby permit the saidinner and outer legs of said ropes being drawn together by the seizings34: when the steps 20 are disposed in close proximity as indicated inFigs. 1 and 2.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated the ladder 10 as it would appear whenoperatively disposed or suspended from the boat deck of a ship, as 40.In this instance the ladder 10 is suspended, by the eyes 33, from hookmembers ll rigidly secured to said boat deck, said ladder being shown asresting upon the side of the ship and extending downwardly to a boat, as42, from which the ship may be boarded or left.

When not in use the ladder 10 may be rolled or wound into a compact'formfor handling or storage in any suitable space, as for example, betweenthe lifeboats where it is available and readily accessible in anyemergency.

It will be apparent from the foregoing and by referring to the drawingsthat the steps 20 cannot become dislodged or displaced from thesupporting ropes 30 and that by disposing the said ropes medially of thesaid steps and out of contact with the ladder supporting surface or'sideof the ship, that chafing and undue wear on the ropes is eliminated,thus materially increasing the life of the same.

"Vi hen it is desired to remove and replace one of the steps 20 for anyreason, as for example, when the same has become useless through wear oris broken, the adjacent seizings 3 f are unwound, the nails 25 are withdawn and the side members 21 removed from their associated cross piece22, the portions of the said cross piece between the tenons 2d and theholes 28 ar then cut away to release the inner legs of the ropes 30 fromthe crosspiece. To position and secure a new Ste) 20 upon the ropes 50,the portions of the crosspiece of the new step, between the tenons 2eand the holes 28 thereof are first cut away to permit of the readyentrance of the in: r legs of the ropes 30 therein and the positioningof the said crosspiece thereon, whereupon the associated side members 21are inserted between the inner and outer legs of the ropes 30 and thetenons 2st of said crosspiece inserted within the mortises 23 of saidside members. The nails 25 are then driven into the curvilinear edges ofthe side members 21, as hereinbefore described, and the seizings as arerewound upon the ropes 30, to thereby secure the new step 20 in properposition thereon. I

While I have herein shown and described my invention with sulhcientdetail to enable those skilled in the art to which it pertains tounderstand the mode of construction and the principles involved, it isto be understood that there is no intentional limitation to the specificform and precise details of construction of the invention, as hereinshown and described, except as expressly defined by the appended claims,and that various modifications of said construction may be resorted towithout departing from the invention or the benefits derivabletherefrom.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. As an article ofmanufacture, a non tilting step for a ship ladder comprising mortisedside members provided with elongated rectilinear rear edges andcurvilinear forward edges and having re-ctangularly recessed innerfaces, and a tenoned rectangular crosspieee of a width substantiallyequal to the depth of said side members rigidly connecting the same inspaced relation with the rectangular ends thereof seated within saidrecessed inner faces and the tenoned terminals of said crosspiecefitting within said mortised side members.

2. In a ship ladder, in combination, spaced parallel supporting ropeseach doubled to form an inner and an outer leg, a plurality ofnon-tilting steps secured to said ropes in spaced relation embodyingside members having elongated rectilinear rear edges, and rectangularcrosspieces of a width substantially equal to the depth of said sidemembers rigidly connecting the same in spaced relation and havingopenings adjacent the ends thereof through which said inner legs extend.

3. In a ship ladder, in combination, spaced parallel supporting ropeseach doubled to form an inner and an outer leg, a plurality ofnon-tilting steps secured to said ropes in spaced relation embodyingside members having elongated rectilinear rear edges and recessed innerfaces, and rectangular crosspieces of a width substantially equal to thedepth of said side members rigidly connecting the same in spacedrelation with the rectangular ends thereof seated within said recessedinner faces and having openings therein adjacent said seated rectangularends through which said inner legs extend.

4:. In a ship ladder, in combination, spaced parallel supporting ropeseach doubled to form an inner and an outer leg, a plurality of stepssecured to said ropes in spaced relation embodying side members havingrectilinear rear edges and curvilinear forward edges and having theupper and lower edge portions upon the inner and outer faces thereofmedially grooved to re ceive and seat therein said inner and outer legsof said supporting ropes, and crosspieces rigidly connecting said sidemembers having medially disposed openings formed therein adjacent theends thereof through which said inner legs are arranged to extend.

5. In a ship ladder embodying support ing ropes each looped and securedat the upper end thereof to form an engaging eye therefor and extendingdownwardly to form an inner and an outer leg, a plurality of stepsdisposed in spaced relation upon said inner and outer legs, said stepscomprising curvilinearly shaped side members having rectilinear rearedges and adapted to medially receive upon the inner sides thereof theaforesaid inner legs of the supporting ropes and to similarly receiveupon the outer sides thereof the aforesaid outer legs of the saidsupporting ropes, crosspieces rigidly connecting said side membershaving hand holds formed therein and means to secure said side membersto the said inner and outer legs of said supporting ropes.

6. In a ship ladder, in combination, spaced parallel supporting ropeseach doubled to form an inner and an outer leg, a plurality of stepssecured to said ropes in spaced relation each comprising side members,and a crosspiece rigidly interconnect-- ing said side members havingopenings adjacent the ends thereof through which said inner legs extend.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN B. MITCHELL.

